While Ashleigh Buhai’s opening two-over-par 74 in the first round of the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath Golf Club in England was not the start the defending champion would have wished for, she was only six shots off the lead.
Buhai made just two birdies, and, with two bogeys and a double-bogey on her card, she ended up in a share of 81st in a championship in which leads can go south in a heartbeat – as Buhai well knows. In the lead was American Allie Ewing, who made the most of the benign conditions to go four-under.
Ewing was one clear of five players on three-under-par 69, with 12 players gathered on two-under-par in a share of seventh. There were a further 14 players on one-under-par in a share of 19th, and 27 on level-par. One shot ahead of Buhai on one-over were 21 players, and there were 22 on two-over.
Amongst those on two-over were the other two South Africans in the field, Paula Reto and Lee-Anne Pace.
“Obviously, it was exciting to get in with a good first round,” said Ewing. “A long way to go until Sunday. It’s great to put a good first round together, but major championship golf, you can never really lose focus. I’ll get some food and get a good night’s sleep and come back and take on the next day.
“I was expecting wind. When you come to Europe, you expect wind. It’s not a shock to the system or anything that there was wind, but getting around in four-under, regardless of the conditions, I’m very happy.”
